DETROIT (WXYZ) — There are less than three weeks away from Election Day in Michigan on Nov. 4, and WXYZ was proud to host the only face-to-face debate in the Detroit mayoral election.
Solomon Kinloch, Jr., the pastor at Triumph Church, and Mary Sheffield, Detroit City Council president, took the stage at Broadcast House on Wednesday night.
From public safety and jobs to the future of the Motor City, 7 News Detroit anchor Carolyn Clifford and Editorial Director Chuck Stokes took the top issues to the two candidates.
You can watch the full debate in the video below
Opening Statements
We held a random drawing before the debate and Kinloch was chosen to go first during the opening statements, saying, “I want to take this moment to personally extend an invitation for you to partner with me to lift every block. Detroit is at a critical point.”
Next up, Sheffield gave her opening statement, saying, “As a native Detroiter, I’ve given my entire life to serving this city. Twelve years ago as we emerged from bankruptcy, when people and businesses were leaving this city, I made the decision to step up and to serve.”
Watch both opening statements in the video below
Question 1: How do you explain the disconnect between statistics that show crime is down and what people see in their neighborhoods, and what will you do if elected mayor to help solve this?
Kinloch answered first, saying, “One of the reasons I believe there is a disconnect is because Detroiters deserve two things. They deserve safety and they deserve justice. The reality is any time you have a department that’s grading their own tasks, you’re going to have a problem with the fudging of the answers and the fudging of the numbers.
Sheffield responded, saying, “While we’ve had historic record lows of crime in Detroit, we know that one life lost is still far too many. I believe in a comprehensive and holistic approach to public safety that is rooted in strong partnerships with our law enforcement agencies and our community. I will ensure as our mayor, we are investing in prevention.”
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Question 2: As mayor, would you welcome the National Guard in Detroit to help fight crime and enforce immigration laws?
Sheffield answered first, saying, “No. I am strongly opposed to any National Guard coming to the city of Detroit… what we must do is become a national model of how to drive crime down in Detroit.”
Kinloch responded to the question, saying, “Not in a martial law fashion, but in collaboration in order to make sure that we’re protecting soft spots throughout the city of Detroit.”
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Question 3: Viewer question from Woody C.: Are you going to rebuild the neighborhood where we live? Nice to have a beautiful downtown but we need a nice safe place to live. How do you make sure Detroit’s comeback reaches everyone?
Kinloch answered first, laying out a variety of things that he would do. Those things, according to Kinloch, will include using the Detroit Land Bank, providing low-interest loans and grants for small businesses.
Sheffield responded, saying that she wants to make sure every neighborhood should be walkable, safe and vibrant. She said she would stabilize the neighborhoods, expand home repair and beautification grants, address blight, hold landlords accountable and drive down taxes.
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Question 4: How would your administration keep Detroit's momentum going?
Sheffield answered first, saying, “I think it’s important that we can recognize that we’ve made progress while also recognizing that there is more work to do.”
She said she will foster a business-friendly environment, “reducing regulations, cutting red tape.”
Sheffield said she will drive property tax reform and invest in the workforce.
Kinloch responded to the question, saying, “No one is disputing the fact that some good things have happened in the city of Detroit — it’s just not good enough.”
Kinloch said he will prioritize the neighborhoods in the Detroit budget.
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Question 5: While the mayor doesn’t control the Detroit Public Schools Community District — what can a mayor do to help ensure Detroit kids can read, learn, and succeed?
Kinloch answered first, saying, “I would be an educational mayor. I would make sure we create a cabinet-level position, a chief educational officer that will partner with the school district, because the residents of the city of Detroit have already decided they want an elected school board and that elected school board to appoint a superintendent.”
Sheffield responded, saying, “My administration will have a liaison working directly with DPCSD and charter schools on a consistent basis. We ensure we have robust after-school programming within a 2-mile radius of every school, focusing in on literacy.”
Both also detailed other plans they have to improve literacy in Detroit.
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Question 6: How will you keep Detroit growing and affordable for all ages?
Sheffield answered first, saying, ”I believe housing is a human right.”
Sheffield said she created the housing trust fund that provides housing funding for vulnerable residents in the city.
She also talked about a home repair grant program for seniors and residents who are disabled. She said they will fast track affordable housing and build on the Down Payment Assistance Program.
Kinloch responded, saying, “It’s amazing to me that housing has been a topic now on this campaign trail when I started discussing it in February.”
Kinloch said Sheffield’s efforts are not working to help poverty in the city.
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Question 7: How will you fix the city’s aging infrastructure and protect residents from these constant problems?
Kinloch answered first, saying, “I will continue to work with the GLWA and water department and continue to work on a federal level and state level in order to make sure we come up with remedies to fix the problems that have existed far too long in our communities.”
Sheffield responded, saying, “We will ensure we are continuing to invest in our infrastructure. We must ensure we are providing resiliency within our system. Programs like our Basement Backup Protection Program, where we’ve given grants for individuals who are experiencing backups and ensuring we have a strategic method from a funding capacity.”
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Question 8: How will your administration combat poverty and create good-paying jobs?
Sheffield answered first, saying, “I will start off by being a champion of education from cradle to career.”
Sheffield said they will be pushing for more jobs in the city and bringing workers to the table to negotiate better wages.
She said the plan would be to also invest directly into people.
Kinloch responded, saying, “One: the Kinloch Promise will include, first of all, a children trust fund — that every baby born in the city of Detroit will receive a seed of a $1,000 and it will be allocated on a yearly basis up until that child gets to the age of 18, and they can use that to open up a business, to go into college, to start a career.”
Kinloch said we also have to stop the exit of the African American middle class out of the city by making sure housing is affordable and attracting industries that offer competitive wages.
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Question 9: How can Detroiters trust that your administration won’t repeat mistakes from the past and ensure transparency and trust?
Kinloch answered first, saying, “I would appoint a chief compliance officer. We have the inspector general that is reactive. But what we would do is appoint a compliance officer that would be proactive to make sure that the way this city does business and its leader do business is above-board. We cannot go back to a dark cloud of corruption.”
Sheffield responded, saying, “Integrity is very important to me. I’ve served this city for 12 years and have ensured that that 12 years, I’ve served with integrity. I was the youngest in the history of this city to take office at the age of 26, and I’ve ensured that every step of the way, we’re leading with accountability, transparency and integrity.”
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Question 10: What about your professional background suggests you will build effective relationships with local, state, and national leaders of both political parties? Can you give us a specific example?
Sheffield talked about her 12 years serving on Detroit City Council and how that afforded her the opportunity to make a number of connections.
“A prime example of this is the inclusionary housing ordinance. I had to go to Lansing to advocate across the aisle to get that ordinance passed.”
She said that the ordinance paved the way for the investment in the creation of affordable housing.
Kinloch responded, saying, “I want to be clear tonight that the experience I bring is executive level, because I am the only one here tonight in this race that is a CEO and has been a CEO.”
He said he has initiated a number of programs to benefit citizens, hired, retained and recruited staff, and created and executed a budget.
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Question 11: How will your administration support or strengthen that safety net for Detroit families that are struggling to make ends meet on a daily basis?
Kinloch answered first, saying, “I will work collaboratively bringing people together, not letting people be an afterthought, but letting them be a first-thought so that as they come together, they can participate in a reimagining of what their neighborhood and community will look like and they will know that they are the No. 1 priority on my agenda.
He also talked about how the mayor’s office has the ability to bring people to the table.
Sheffield responded, saying, “We are proposing an office of human, family and homeless services that will strengthen the safety net that we have in Detroit, so that all of our nonprofits and agencies that are currently working in silos has a coordinated approach.”
She also discussed empowering more opportunity hubs and working with nonprofits and faith-based institutions to support their plans.
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Question 12: What plans do you have in mind to improve transit insecurity in Detroit?
Sheffield answered first, saying, “A world-class city needs world-class transit.”
She said the council in its last budget added $20 million to invest in our public transportation system.
She said her No. 1 priority is to reduce wait times and make sure the system is safe and that drivers are paid competitive wages.
Kinloch responded, saying, “We have to approach it from the perspective that it is not an option; it is a necessity.”
Kinloch said the community depends on public transit. He said we have to have competitive pay for drivers and have reliable vehicles.
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Question 13: If you’re elected mayor, what’s the first thing you’ll do on Day One to show Detroiters you’re ready to lead?
Kinloch answered first, saying, "One, I would do a valuation evaluation of the top leadership in order to make sure that they are ready to do something courageous and creative to deliver for the people in this city."
He also said he would engage Lansing and federal partners in Washington D.C. and convene a table of leaders and residents throughout the city.
Sheffield responded, saying "First and foremost, we have to have the best and the brightest around me, so I would assume within the first 100 days or more, we’re going to make sure we have effective and efficient leadership around me.”
She also said they would look at ways to enhance and improve city services, figure out ways to bring neighborhood city halls back and continue city-wide engagement.
You can watch their full responses in the video below
Closing Statements
You can watch the closing statements from both Sheffield and Kinloch in the video below:
